playnext.fm

Physionic

The 'Keto Damages the Heart' Critique, and My Nutrition

·34 min·3 clips
Nicholas Verhoeven examines a study showing the ketogenic diet may cause heart cell death and fibrosis.
Nicholas Verhoeven, a PhD candidate in molecular medicine, hosts this episode of the Physionic Podcast. He begins by introducing a 2021 study published in Nature Signal Transduction that found the ketogenic diet led to heart cell death and collagen replacement in animals. Verhoeven notes the study caused controversy among keto enthusiasts. He mentions receiving critiques, including one from researcher Dom D'Agostino, who argued the study's diet was not truly ketogenic because it contained 60% saturated fat from cocoa butter. Verhoeven acknowledges this as a valid point, suggesting it might represent a 'dirty' keto diet. However, he highlights that the study also showed direct administration of beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones caused cell death in heart cells from rats, mice, and humans, independent of diet composition. This raises unresolved questions about the mechanism. Verhoeven critiques the idea that researchers are biased against keto, emphasizing the need to engage with all data. He then shifts to discussing his personal nutrition, revealing he follows flexible dieting, which involves counting calories and protein while ensuring micronutrient intake. He explains he eats about 3,700 calories daily to gain weight, consumes 150-200 grams of protein, and uses OMAD (one meal a day) for fat loss. Verhoeven stresses that diet sustainability is the most important factor, overriding any specific dietary benefits. He concludes by encouraging critical thinking and community engagement in scientific discourse.

As heard by us

A measured look at keto research, disputed heart findings, and the questions still open.

Physionic examines a disputed ketogenic-diet study by keeping the focus on what the data can and cannot say about heart health. Nicholas Verhoeven, a PhD candidate in molecular medicine with nutrition science training, moves from the animal findings to the direct use of ketones…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get a concise walk through a keto-heart controversy, then a turn toward why the host's own nutrition choices came up under the video.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on
Apple PodcastsSpotify
Play clips from this episodeMore from Physionic